GROUPS AND PROGRAMS:
KIDZ Commission on AIDS

Youth Advocates—Protecting the Future

As youth and teens at Health People have developed their leadership skills, they are using them for some very impressive advocacy. Our youth have seen not just community problems, but a lot of illness and death and they don’t want anyone—youth or adults—to keep going through unnecessary illness.

With half of new HIV infections in NYC striking young people age 24 to 12, the teens from the mentoring program formed the KIDZ Commission on AIDS to assure that youth prevention receives the great attention it needs. On November 30th, 2004, the KIDZ Commission held its first hearings; more than 70 people attended, as young people affected by HIV told about their concerns, the illness they have seen among family and friends, and their hopes of stopping the epidemic. Even for people long involved in AIDS, the KIDZ Commission hearings were both eye-opening and enormously moving.

Turning right away to improved prevention, the KIDZ Commission started a petition drive to demand that New York City schools provide the consistent HIV/AIDS education and prevention to all students mandated by state regulations. Unfortunately city schools have not consistently provided this education for a decade. In April, 2005, the KIDZ Commission held a rally outside City Hall to support real HIV prevention in the schools and then marched around the corner, to the Department of Education and delivered 1,600 petitions to the Office of Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

Meanwhile, the KIDZ Commission on AIDS is planning other activities for the rest of the year to support their mission. Check into this web site to find out what’s happening and how you can join youth in fighting AIDS!

Mission Statement of the KIDZ Commission

The mission of the KIDZ Commission on AIDS is to prevent youth HIV infection, assure support and understanding both for kids whose parents have AIDS and for kids who are HIV+ and help society recognize the deep impact AIDS has on our generation. Most of us have family and friends affected by AIDS and we don't want to see any more people—kids or adults—go through this.

Its twenty years into the AIDS epidemic. But, so little attention has been paid to youth that, now, half the new HIV infections in New York City occur in people under age 25. And, AIDS is so widespread as a family disease that 7% of youth under age 21 in New York City are living with a parent or guardian who is HIV+—or have already lost their parents and been orphaned. Did you know that? What happens to these tens of thousands of kids? Who helps them? Who even understands that they feel alone and they get scared about their parents and the future?

The KIDZ Commission on AIDS started on November 30st, 2004, when for World AIDS Day, we had many kids come testify about what AIDS meant to them and how AIDS had hurt them or their families. From that, we looked at what we could do. Right now, we have four issues we think are very urgent and that we're going to work on. They are:

1. New York City school students must receive complete AIDS education; the city schools must fulfill state mandates and city guidelines about AIDS education.
2. We need fair funding allocated throughout the boroughs to have youth peer education programs so that kids can be involved in helping prevent AIDS, encouraging sexual responsibility and encouraging other kids and young adults to get an HIV test.
3. We must stop the terrible neglect of kids whose parents have AIDS. We need to provide mentoring programs and other support right away to show these kids that people will help them with their problems
4. We demand that the city and state get together and make sure that New York State finally applies to join the federal subsidized guardianship program. This federal program, which started in 1997, helps relatives become legal guardians of kids whose parents are unable to care for them—or who have died—and get a small subsidy to help with the expenses. In states that have joined the federal program, many more older minority children are going to stable homes when their parents can't be there. Those are exactly the kids who are losing their parents to AIDS. But, New York State, which has the most AIDS orphans of any state, cares so little that it still hasn't applied to join and New York City officials, to their enormous disgrace, don't say a word of protest!

Finally, we absolutely demand that youth and young adults be represented on every city planning council, commission and advisory group that makes policy or city plans about HIV/AIDS programs, and issues. To stop an epidemic which now is striking more and more at the young, the city has to know us—to listen to the ideas of youth, to respect youth, and let youth, itself, help protect the future.

A Healthier Bronx for All

During the summer, kids in the YOOTS Institute will be joining adult peers and the South Bronx Diabetes and Heart Disease Coalition in promoting activities for better health in the Bronx. Some issues and activities we are looking at include closing off Bronx streets to traffic at least some days so people can use them for recreation; a major walk to the greenmarkets, double dutch and hoops contests for youth, and promoting other easy, pleasant recreation and access to healthier food. We're sure the youth will have outstanding ideas about what should be done, so again, check this web site to see how youth and adults can join together for better health for all.